Vague Thoughts
by Winslow Fisherman
Summary: Ed and Al are sent do a report for Roy Mustang on a town by the name of Vague Thoughts. What happens during their stay is shocking, horrifying and all together eerie for the boys. I post up for those that have any interest: Vague Thoughts.


**Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist. Everything else is fictional.**

Vague Thoughts

There, another body to take home back out into the world. I can't save them all, but I must do what I can. They can't see their old bones though. I need to keep them hidden for now and out of their eyes for when they come. If they find out what I've been doing they'll have me arrested, or worse…

"So this is the town huh, Ed?" Al says. "I wonder why they call it Vague Thoughts."

"Who knows," replies the older brother. "Maybe it's because their heads are empty."

"It's not funny to make jokes like that, kid," a rough voice whispers from the seat across the train aisle. "Vague Thoughts is a town with people who hate tourists that make cracks at them. Trust me," he says and shows his left arm. It's wooden and has gears in it. "They fashioned this one for me when I insulted their reverend."

"What did you say?" inquires Al.

"I made a crack against his vision he had in his church."

"Vision?"

"You'll find out, it's highly talked about and very disturbing. Why are you boys even going to this place to begin with?"

 _Psh_ ; the train stops but Ed's eyes haven't left his neighbor's. "We're going to do a report on this town for Central."

"Really? Well, be careful because these savages will take a limb from you."

"I have two questions," the Fullmetal Alchemist says as the passenger gets up from his seat. "Why didn't you report what happened to you and why are you coming back?"

"Well, I'm coming back because I have some things to do and I didn't report it because someone needs to seal up Asmar's Flesh Cavern."

"'Asmar's Flesh Cavern?'" Al and Ed say in unison.

"It's his vision, you'll hear lots about it. In fact, you can find it in the local history books in the local library of Vague Thoughts," replies the conversationalist. The duo watches the passenger step off the train and begin to walk into the crowd, but he stops to look back with a small smile. "Good luck with the report, guys."

The two brothers watch the man disappear. It's their turn to leave unless they're going to play hooky and go off to someplace they shouldn't be. No, they won't, they've got a duty and the Fullmetal Alchemist wouldn't like to get in a high amount of trouble. The duo steps off the train, looking around for some idea as to where to go. A distant blue figure is coming towards them; it looks like a high ranking soldier with two guards on either side of him.

"Hello, Fullmetal Alchemist," the middle man cries out with his finger out at Al. "I've been waiting a long time to meet you since your name got going around the world."

Al looks at his older brother who's steaming mad and cracking his knuckles just as the man is about to enter fight space. "No, you've got it all wrong, sir," the younger brother says and points at the blond haired youth with the red cape. "He is."

"Really?" the man says and he begins to laugh, but stops when he looks to see that the suit of armor is holding the small one back. "Sorry, please forgive me. I shouldn't make assumptions," he adds and looks back the way he came. "Come, we must leave quickly before the people grow their horns and fangs," he whispers in a stern tone making both brothers freeze up at the same time. "They somehow got word you were coming and will be on the look out."

* * *

Crickets are chirping and bull frogs are croaking deeply. Tonight's meal for the escorting soldier, Ed and Al is gone, (sadly the man in the metal suit isn't at peace like his brother and their host). A fire is roaring behind both the visitors and the pick up's mansion. _Snap, crackle, pop_ ; all but Al can feel its warmth, (he will feel it on his skin one day). _Tick, tock, tick, tock_ ; a clock's pendulum swings back and forth as everyone else is quiet.

"So you came to see how this place is doing, is that correct, Ed?" inquires the soldier from the station. "Or would you like to take a bit of time to relax? Although I will say this, Vague Thoughts is as its name sounds, empty and full of nameless thoughts."

"Really? I heard otherwise about this place, but that aside I did come to do a report," replies the Fullmetal Alchemist. "My boss said you'd have the files ready to go; do you?"

"Yes, in fact…" the soldier trails off and snaps his fingers. The doors burst open and tons of small league comrades come in with stacks of paper. Both of the visitors' mouths drop open at the sight. "They're right here, but I thought you'd like to get some sleep before taking in all the work."

"N-No kidding," Ed mutters, feeling the blood in his head vanish inside his body to the bottom of his feet. "I would never had guessed you'd want to be so kind."

"I can retract the offer."

"No, I'll get right on it."

"How long have you been at this spot Lieutenant Mar?" inquires the suit of armor.

"I'm thirty now, enlisted at the age of eighteen and got assigned here at twenty so about 10 years. So a bit longer since you've been a state alchemist, Ed."

"Wow, you really did a lot of work in your life by the sounds of it."

"I have, but sadly, I haven't hit the other top marks. It's rather tough," replies the host of tonight's dinner service. He stands up and looks out the window. "This town and its people are my family, but they are also my enemy. They love me, but they also want me dead. Their hatred for any that insults them is so high and baffling."

"So it's true then," the Fullmetal Alchemist says.

"What's true?"

"A man on the train we took showed us his arm. He told us they took it off and gave him a wooden one with gears in it, but they did it because he insulted their priest when he had a vision."

The soldier freezes, feeling a bad cold water travel down his back. He whips around, his face is fearful and lacking energy. "Who told you about it?"

"You knew about him loosing his arm? Why didn't you say anything?"

"Not that, about the 'vision' Reverend Exmour had."

"Nothing, all we know is its called Asmar's Flesh Cavern."

"Just do your work and don't go asking around about it for your own protection."

"Huh? Is there something wrong with asking about it?" inquires Al.

Lieutenant Mar looks back out the window. "Look, this is off the record but this town has lots of secrets but there is one that holds it altogether in a nice pretty bow. But that bow can cut your finger, your hand, your arm and then head off in a flash. You don't want to ask."

"We didn't…"

"Just do your job, ok? Look through my paper work and make your report," replies the soldier. He walks over to the doors leading out into the main hall but stops. "Stay out of trouble."

* * *

"String him up!" a man screams in a crowd of a thousand.

"Cut off his legs and arms!"a child roars next as the mass continues to boo and hiss.

Ed and his brother watch as a man is lead out a small metal box and taken to a noose. The man is covered in dirt, dried blood by the looks of it and has torn clothing. They watch from afar as the rope goes around the man's neck, (his tearful eyes don't ease the crowd). A man wearing a black mask readies to pull a lever. Lieutenant Mar stands before the man with a reverend next to him.

"Quiet!" the head soldier cries out. "For insulting the reverend this morning the crowd has asked me to hang you. Do you wish for any last minute requests?"

"Yeah," the man mutters. "I'd like you to catch on fire much quicker than the rest that fall from the walls of the cavern so you can meet the devil yourself and beg for mercy as he drives…"

The executioner pulls the lever shutting down the man's speech. _Crack_ ; the man's neck snaps in a second. The crowd screams with joy, but the two distant watchers look away cringing at the disturbing sight.

"Now brothers and sisters!" the reverend calls out. "Let us bury this man in the vegetable patches and fill him with straw so he may not enter the cavern!"

"Man, this reverend really has people up in excitement," the Fullmetal Alchemist mutters to his younger brother. "I wonder what's he like? Or better yet why he's so popular they'd execute someone for talking rude about him."

"I wonder what he meant about the use of the vegetable patches," Al replies. He looks at his brother who's lost in thought at the whole event that took place. "Are you doing ok?"

"Yeah, I'm just tired," says Ed. He turns his head to look down a street behind them and sighs. "Come on, there's work to be done back at the lieutenant's house."

 _Pat, pat_ ; the pair move down the street. Looking around they see some eyes are watching them, looking with deep hatred. _Clack, clack_ ; the sound of a stone hitting the ground catches the brothers' ears. They continue to walk with the mad eyes rolling them and stop when they find the location of the sound. Three kids are playing hop-scotch, (oh those were the days of simple things to pass the time), a boy and two girls.

"Come on, Wiz, let's move it," one of the girls says irritably. "We're waiting for you."

The boy just stands still, but when he opens his mouth all he does is chuckle. He clears his throat and moves, but his feet follow a rather straight forward line than a regular jump over to his playmates. "I jump," he says and he begins to laugh. "I make it across and do good points."

"No, you didn't! You lose!"

"No, I win!"

"Lose! Lose!"

"Win! Win!"

"Lose! Lose! LOSE!

"Win! Win! WIN!"

The boy tackles his shouting opponent and bites her finger. She screams loudly making Ed dive quickly to tear the boy away with his right hand. Al tries to comfort the bleeding girl just as a woman shows up with an outraged face. She takes the boy from the older brother and calls to the girls who come to her side. She stares at the brothers and takes off within a second.

"What…just happened?" Ed whispers. He catches the boys eyes, (dark hunger). "Huh?"

* * *

Piles of paper, no, mountains and they're all for the Fullmetal Alchemist. Ed looks through it all, thinking of how he's supposed to condense all of this paper work into a simple report. There's so much necessary information, but then again, the details are a waste of time and energy. Ed stops on his twentieth page, his heart starts to beat rapidly as he reads of a report stating something completely bone-chilling:

 **Report #20**

 **Vague Thought** **'** **s population is declining. It would seem disease of an unknown nature is passing around through the area. To keep the death rate from rising everyone shall wear masks until the source can be tracked. However, there are some who will not need a mask based on their conditions and surprising immunity to it all. I need to get control of this place fast and one day seal that place up.**

 **Sergeant Nilark**

"There was a disease outbreak here, but when?" Al says over his older brother's shoulder.

"It doesn't say but that's not what you should be paying attention to," replies Ed.

"What are you saying?"

"There were people here that were immune but others died from it. Also, look at this line about him having to seal some place up."

"What about it?"

"He's not telling us something about this town…"

"What do you think it is?"

"I don't know but I think its got something to do with that reverend and his vision."

"But we shouldn't meddle, remember what Mar said?"

"Yeah, I remember what he said," replies the Fullmetal Alchemist. He takes the report and sets it in the pile of use/not use in report. He looks to see that there's nothing right after Report #20. "Huh? Where's the next report?"

 _Click, creak_ ; the door to the office the duo is working in opens. "How's it going on in here?" a familiar voice inquires. The brothers turn around to see the soldier in charge of the overlooking of the town is before them. "What did you think of seeing your first execution here in Vague Thoughts?"

"I…have no comments," replies Ed. He looks back at the stacks of paper work and then returns to Lieutenant Mars. "Where's Report #21?"

"Gone, but it's not my fault."

"What do you mean?"

"A soldier who was in my command took it and hid it somewhere on the outskirts."

"Where is he? I need to talk to him and ask…"

"He's no where to be found."

"Huh?"

The soldier in charge of overlooking Vague Thoughts looks away. "He was a good soldier, but we had to capture him. He couldn't report to others what was on that page, it belonged to the military, to the people of this place, to me."

"Did you kill him?"

"I wish…he ran away but not before we messed him up really good."

"What did you do?"

Lieutenant Mar turns his head back at the boys and sighs. "I think you already know."

* * *

 _Hoot, Hoot_ ; an owl sounds off outside the boys' stay. They lay wide awake, looking up at the ceiling, thinking about Report #20 and its missing page. Furthermore they wonder about what Lieutenant Mar said to them about having met the person who took the page from the report stack.

"I don't recall ever meeting any of his other soldiers, do you brother?" inquires Al.

"No, in fact, the only other person I can recall meeting is…" Ed trails off and remembers the man with the wooden arm that has gears in it. "The man from the train…"

"What?" replies the suit of armor, "Are you saying he's the soldier?"

"No, but that's the only other person we've met."

 _Blam, blam_ ; a shotgun sounds off outside the home. The boys sit up quickly and look out their bedroom window to see if they can see anything, but no, its too dark to tell. _Click, urk_ ; the door to their rest spot opens and the overseer of the town comes into view with a reverend by his side.

"You boys ok?" inquires Lieutenant Mar. "I presume you heard the gun blast?"

"Yeah, what's going on?" replies Ed.

"A soldier turned his gun on a friendly and got shot."

The boys freeze, their pulses are slowing down from shock. "You…shot one of your own men?"

"Yes, it's very disturbing but what's done is done."

"Aren't you going to arrest the man who did it?"

"Ed," says Al.

"Listen you two," replies the reverend. "This town is going through a rough period…"

"So, that doesn't mean you should start killing your own! Especially if someone makes fun of you!" screams Ed.

"Child, you don't understand…"

"Then explain it!"

The reverend looks away. "I, Reverend Exmour have seen many horrors here since I had my vision of Asmar's Flesh Cavern. A place that I thought would've stayed buried when I was training in the priesthood for my god…"

"What is Asmar's Flesh Cavern," inquires Al, "Where is it located?"

"It's not real, just a town myth…"

"But the way you were talking things sounded…"

"Metaphor dear child…a metaphor…"

"But what for?"

"You saw this morning's hanging, right?" replies the head of the household.

"Yeah, the image is still in my head," mutters Ed.

"Well, the villagers represent this cavern composed of flesh that takes people who are lost in their faith and destroys them, or injures them based on how they behave."

"But why call what's going on Asmar's flesh Cavern?"

"Because a century ago things were just like this for Reverend Asmar."

The room goes silent. The sound of a moth fluttering around a light bulb is all that takes over for a minute. Lieutenant Mar turns, leaving with the reverend, but not before shutting the door behind him. Curiosity, thought and deep wonder as to the foul stench that there's something not being told fills the air. The roommates feel they shouldn't ask questions, but their minds will.

* * *

"Asmar's Flesh Cavern? Sorry, but that's just a metaphor we use around here boys," replies the bartender of Vague Thought's Local Inn. "It really isn't a real place."

"But where does it come from? Like what's its origin?" inquires Al.

"It comes from the times Reverend Asmar."

"You mean the times that are similar like now?" Ed mutters.

"You're lucky that you're a state alchemist and a little runt or else you'd be in trouble."

"Who you calling a little mouse that runs around on the floor and eats cheese?"

The beverage pourer bursts out laughing. "Wow, and I thought I took to offenses," he says and bends towards the boys covering his face with his left hand. "I can tell you a small story about the origin, but it stays between us and you must promise not to go looking into it, ok?"

"Huh? Um, sure…"

"A long time ago the first settlers of Vague Thoughts fought a group of native tribe members who travelled up to here from Africa. They battled several days and nights, but what's strange is that the first settlers kept fighting native tribe members that'd already died."

"What?"

"They came back again and again. They'd be dead one day, and the next they'd be back on the field. The settlers found out, according to legend, that there was a cavern made up of bodies of those who'd died a long time ago and the flesh were just taken from the wall then trained to remember who they once were."

"That's incredible."

"Well, the first travelers found out about this and did the one thing that had to be done to end the war. They blew up the cavern, slaughtered the tribe members and took over in a night."

"Wow, that's a dark story," replies Al. "Is it true though?"

"I don't think so, from what I know its just legend and I think you boys should leave it at that."

"Well, we've got a report for Central…" replies Ed.

"And I say you make it sound good because it'd hurt to have something happen to you boys."

"Well, the military wouldn't like it if they found out…"

"That what? You got hurt? That there's been killings? They don't care about anyone in this place. In fact, I bet they'd be thrilled to have you die here because there's been many with jobs to do here from Central and they've all had 'accidents' while working."

"And who's caused these 'accidents,' huh?"

The bartender grabs his customers glasses of orange juice and points to his Inn's door. "I need to ask you to leave, now."

The two brothers stand up and exit, but Ed looks back, he narrows his eyes then looks away to get out of Inn. Outside the pair sighs, wondering where they're going go to next. So far people have been quite dumb playing about the vision, Asmar's Flesh Cavern. They take to the streets, but as they look around, they see eyes are watching from all over and some have dark hunger in them.

"What are we going to do, Ed?" inquires the younger brother, "Who are we going ask next?"

"I don't know, someone has to know more…" the Fullmetal Alchemist stops. He spots Lieutenant Mar take off into the forest that's surrounding Vague Thoughts. "Al, let's move it…"

* * *

 _Crunch, snap, crunch, snap_ ; the overseer of Vague Thoughts moves quietly and cautiously through the town's forest. He stops to look back, making sure something is following him. Once he turns his head back forward Ed and his younger brother continue their tailing, but stop once they see he's coming to a clearing. They see from a distance a grand sight. A large archway over a massive cavern hole in a mountainside.

"I wonder why he's going in there?" says Al.

"I don't know, but let's just say something about that place isn't a good thing," replies Ed.

The younger brother looks down and sees a paper on the ground. "What's this," he inquires and picks it up, gasping when he sees what it is, "Um Ed…"

"What?"

"Look at this."

Ed takes the paper. He examines it and freezes up when he finds what he's looking at is something that's been on the loose.

 **Report #21**

 **Asmar** **'** **s Flesh Cavern has excavated up to ten percent this year. The lieutenant wants to restore the town to look better because the grieving and crying of the townsfolk is getting on his nerves. People are still dying off, but the people who come out of that cavern, they seem to be better off than when they were alive. The lieutenant thinks we should execute every single soul but Reverend Exmour won** **'** **t allow it. The reverend says that all we need are more hands for the cavern, but in my opinion, this has to stop** **…**

"Big brother, what does this mean?" inquires Al.

 _Click_ , someone's gun is ready. "Turn around slowly," a voice whispers.

The boys turn around to see the man with the wooden arm and gears with it behind them with a handgun. His weapon is pointed at the front of the Fullmetal Alchemist's head. Ed lifts his hands up slowly and everyone stands up, but once he thinks there's no one else around, they gunman lowers his tool.

"Listen, I need to get you boys out of here and back to Central," replies the man.

"Who are you?" inquires Al.

"My name is Sergeant Nilark, I went awol after I dug around and found out the horrors of this place."

"You mean that some of the town are undead?" replies Ed.

"They're not undead, but then again, they're not human."

"Yeah, I've seen it."

"Come on, we're going to get you guys out of here," replies the man. He points to the report the Fullmetal Alchemist is holding. "Just take that with you."

"Wait, what's going on exactly, we need an explanation."

Sergeant Nilark takes Ed's right hand and begins to pull him through the forest. "I was under his command, the lieutenant's command. He'd worked hard to get to where he was, but what he didn't expect was to have to work in keeping watch over this village. The people were miserable, unhappy, and there were uprisings. He needed a way to fix things, so he used alchemy to fix the archway so he could create peace."

"He…used alchemy?"

"Yes, his real name is the Constructionist Alchemist. He rebuilt the archway while Reverend Exmour pretended to have a vision about it. It's all my fault I got this wooden arm…"

"So did you really lose your arm for making fun of the made up vision," replies Al.

"No, I lost it for messing with the people's happiness. When the first number of corpses started to return, everyone was happy, but I saw an evil in them all. I blurted out the truth, told them that the place shouldn't be used, you know why? All the deceased hanging on the walls of that cavern are supposed to be there."

"What do you mean, 'are supposed to be there?'"

"Those native tribe members used that place for evil and I bet you might've encountered an incident where someone acts a little mad?"

The boys recall the day the boy bit the girls finger. "Yeah, we do."

"They're not well oiled machines. The natives, they knew how to train the flesh into perfect soldiers because that's what the cavern was for. The towns people on the other hand, they try and make them back into who they used to be, but every singly one of them knows it won't happen. Trust me, that place must be destroyed, but we need Central's help."

"We heard the government already knows about things," replies Al.

"Hah, they only know about the violence and commotion between the common man, but they don't intervene because it's personal affairs."

"So the lieutenant just helps act as executioner?" replies Ed. He rips his hand out of the man's grip and look away. "And he's bringing people back from the dead? What's his problem?"

"It's not alchemy, but that place Ed, it's a mad house for all."

The wind blows, trees shake and leaves go flying. The Fullmetal Alchemist turns back to the path he took that's far from the clearing towards the cavern.

"Something's off," says Ed. He looks at Sergeant Nilark. "Lead the way out of here."

* * *

"Sorry boys, but I can't let you leave," says Reverend Exmour. He stands in front of the gate that leads into the train station with soldiers behind him. "No one wants you to spread word about what goes on in this town."

"So what are you going to do? Kill us?" replies Ed. He pulls back his cape showing his mechanical arm. "I've already lost a limb before so there's a useless scare tactic."

"Are my boys causing problems again?" inquires a familiar female voice. The boys turn, going white as they look to see their mom standing right before them in ragged clothing. "I promise they'll be taken care of while I recover underneath your church."

"N-no way, you're not mom!"

"Edward, how can you be so mean to your mother?"

The oldest sibling looks at the reverend. "What's your game?"

"Well, you know what they say, 'If you can't beat them join them and if you can't join them, force them into submission.'"

"In other words, Ed," a voice says from behind the ragged, clothed woman. Lieutenant Mar steps out in front with a smile on his face. "Welcome to your new town. Vague Thoughts, a place for the dead to walk with the living."

"These aren't the same corpses and you know it!" screams Sergeant Nilark. "No one in this town from that cavern is who they used to be and the late Reverend Asmar knew that after he did the same thing for a long time…"

"And the people fell into a depression after he destroyed the archway. I constructed it back to its original form and happiness is back to where it used to be."

"It's made them mad! They execute people when one steps out and sees the horrors of it!"

"Edward," says the mother. The siblings are still at a loss as to seeing their deceased relative. "Let's go home to the church."

"You're not mom," mutters the Fullmetal Alchemist. "You're not mom!"

The soldier who lead the boys takes out his gun and shoots the mom in the head. The scream she lets out horrifies the two. It's high pitched and glass shattering. Flashes from the past flow past the youths' eyes of when their dead relative first died. They scream and drop to their knees despite knowing that it had to be done, that corpse wasn't their mom. They hear the ripping of flesh and look up, watching it burst into flames.

"Now why'd you go and do that?" inquires Reverend Exmour. "Lieutenant Mar went through a lot of trouble for the boys."

"Don't worry, there's more than one way to keep them silent," replies the overseer of Vague Thoughts. He looks at some of his soldiers then back to the boys and his runaway comrade. "Make sure these boys follow me to Asmar's Flesh Cavern."

"Taking them back, what for?"

"You'll see."

"What about Report #21?"

Lieutenant Mar walks over, reaches into a holster, pulls out a gun and points it at the oldest sibling. "Give me the report right now, or get a bullet to the head," he says. Ed reaches into his pocket and pulls out the paper. The overseer of the town takes it and tears it up into pieces. "There is no Report #21."

"I hope you made the right decision."

"Now follow me, my little nosy friends. You're in for a real big treat this evening."

* * *

 _Pat, Pat, Pat, Pat_ ; Lieutenant Mar, a group of his men, Reverend Exmour, Ed, Al and Sergeant Nilark walk through Asmar's Flesh Cavern. Torches hang on the walls revealing thousands of bodies hanging up against the rocky walls of the inner nightmare. The Fullmetal Alchemist and his younger brother show no fear, in fact, they show confidence that they'll bring this place down. The story of this place must be told to their higher up. The tale of Vague Thoughts is a dark one.

"I've got a few questions for you, lieutenant," says Ed.

"Fire away," replies the overseer of the town.

"Why is this place called Asmar's, from what I heard he didn't really discover the place?"

"It's called Asmar's Flesh Cavern because the people of this town believed him to be the savior of this horrifying place what with being able to bring back the dead, at least that's what our dear present Reverend told me."

"It is, at least, according to legend," says Reverend Exmour. "He put the archway back together with workers only to destroy it once again after he realized what he was doing."

"Is the archway the key component of this place?" inquires Al.

"If that archway wasn't up this cavern wouldn't hold these corpses. It acts as a gateway to deaths stash of passed souls."

"So if that archway is destroyed…"

"All of what you're seeing wouldn't exist, but fear not, you're all going to die shortly."

"And how's that?" inquires Ed.

The travelers stop at a pit and look down into it. There are corpses. Thousands of them are moving around, jumping to get out, tearing at one another. They show no trace of humanity.

"I'm guessing you want us to jump in there and get torn apart," says the Fullmetal Alchemist. He looks back at the soldiers and their leaders. "Sorry, but I can't die today, my own boss would have a fit."

"Maybe, but I'm ready to help file the report on what happened here and make it stay a secret unlike some of my men," replies Lieutenant Mar.

"Mar, you're mad, you can't do this!" screams the lower in command.

"Oh, but I can, because this place needs me to keep it happy."

"Hold on, I'm the one who told you about it!" screams the reverend.

The overseer of Vague Thoughts picks up the reverend and throws him into the pit. "You're not needed anymore!" Lieutenant Mar roars, laughing as Reverend Exmour cries out in pain as he's torn apart. He then looks at the remaining trio. "So long boys," he says and looks at his remaining men. "Ready! Aim! Fire!"

The runaway soldier takes to the ground with the two brothers. He reaches into his back pocket, pulls out a few throwing knives and fires back, killing a few troops. Al charges forward, clearing a path and helps his friends make a break. However, the overseer of Vague Thoughts takes aim with his own gun and hits the sergeant in the back.

"You won't escape me!" screams the mad lieutenant.

"Nilark," says Al. He reaches out a hand to the officer, but gets a swat. "Come on."

"No," replies the lower in command. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a pack of dynamite. "Blow this place up…seal it…forever."

"But…"

"Let's move it, Al!" screams the older brother. "We need to get out of here and fast!"

Al looks at his brother and sighs. The duo takes off out of the cavern, but something stops them, they look up seeing their mom hanging on the wall. She looks down from above smiling weakly. The younger brother watches his older sibling move a hand towards the body on the wall, but stops him. He shakes his head no and the pair takes off once more, hearing their mom calling out to them.

* * *

"Let's get ready to run, Al!" the Fullmetal Alchemist screams after placing the dynamite in the perfect place near the archway. He claps his fingers and helps light the dynamite. The pair take off running as quick as their feet will take them. They get into the forest and watch as soldiers from inside the place come running. _Boom_ ; the archway is coming down and both brothers watch as the view of the soldiers vanish. "We'll, that's done and over with."

"Brother, what do we report to Central?" inquires the younger brother.

"Tell them the facts, even if they sound hard to believe."

"But we've got nothing to back us up."

"Sure we do."

"What do we have?" inquires Al. He watches his brother turn around and start to head off deep into the forest that leads back into the town of Vague Thoughts, "What are we going to give Central?"

"We've got Report #20."

"Without the report that explains the other half."

"We don't need it."

"I don't understand."

"Two halves make a whole," replies Ed, "but sometimes one half can help explain all."


End file.
